The 53rd Annual Hunger Games
by teawithmegan
Summary: Ember's father is the mayor of District 7. He threw Ember's twin brother Ash out on the street for secretly seeing the daughter of the infamous old victor, Axel Corscaden and now Ash is on the brink of death. But when Ember faces the arena with the very same girl as his partner can he forgive her for long enough to make it back alive?


****I know i haven't updated Kaylar in a while but i'm suffering some serious block. Anyway i found a bunch of chapters of this fic on my old phone when i finally charged for the first time in a year and i decided to upload them. They are pretty good. If you can forgive me for neglecting you, have a read. R&R very much appreciated as ever.****

It is barely am when I wake. I should sleep a little longer because I will need my strength, but I can't, not on a day like this. The sun filters through the diamond paned window and already I can hear the distant hum of the electric fence as it comes reluctantly to life. Other than that it is eerily silent, as though the whole of district 7 were holding it's breath. Which, on second thought, they probably are. Isn't that what we all do on Reaping day?

Slowly I swing both legs over the edge of the bed and force my body in to sitting position. I blink blearily in the golden light which warms my skin, making it glitter strangely. The window has been open all night in an attempt to beckon a non-existent summer breeze. We have been suffering from a stifling heat wave of late. It's been causing mayhem in the forests, or so I've heard. This thought in mind, I pad across the room and pull the window shut with a faint snap. My wardrobe doors still stand open, my finest things litter the floor. I feel a pang of guilt for leaving them that way but the anger still exists in the pit of my stomach.

Quickly I pull on some clothes and jam my feet in to my best, polished shoes before I creep on to the landing. I glance briefly at the old grandfather clock, standing sentry outside my father's study. I can hear the tell tale scratching of a signature through the door, he won't neglect his work, not even on a day like today. I still have approximately 10 minutes to get there. I tiptoe down the staircase as stealthily as I can in my current befuddled state and let myself out.

The heat envelopes me like boiling water, closing slowly over my head. The square is deserted, an uneven sort of stage has been erected across the front of my house. I climb the rickety steps and cross to the centre, soaking up the silence as though it were the very thing keeping me alive. If I close my eyes, I can envision the thousands of people crowded under an invisible cloud of anxiety, leaning slightly away from me as I call out the names of the children who will be sent off for slaughter. The surge of power that runs through my veins is overwhelming. Despite the record breaking temperature of the air around me, I shiver.

My footsteps resonate off the surrounding stone buildings, boarded up and deserted to the untrained eye. But every now and then I see the twitch of a curtain, hear the creak of a window sash and I know that I am not alone. Feeling the weight of many pairs of eyes upon me I exit the main part of town and turn on to the dirt track which leads to the thick woodland which encircles our district. We are only allowed to set foot in the very fringes of it, out of fear that we will kill the animals or pick the plants which belong exclusively to the Capitol's plucked and painted population. Only the men may stray among the tall pines, out by the river, where the factories are. This sun dappled area of the forest is for people too weak to work in the mills, people like me. Feeling a tingle of rebellious excitement, I vault the gate and plunge into the forest.

The willow stands proud and solitary as ever, roots buried deep in the slick banking of the slow moving river. It's branches are adorned with a million fragile white flowers, brought out by this unexpected bout of sunshine. I reach out a hand and part the trailing branches, feeling the wispy green leaves tickle the inside of my wrist, and walk through the gap.

Beneath the branches lies a gossamer world of iridescent green light and leaf scented shadows. A few years ago I adopted this place as a sort of meeting ground and as expected, my guest already awaits me. He sits with his narrow back pressed against the rough trunk, knobby knees pulled tightly in to his heaving chest. He must have run the whole way here to beat me. He catches sight of me and grins lopsidedly.

"Ember." he breathes happily, getting quickly to his feet and brushing off his grubby trousers.

"Ash." I reply easily, grasping his hand and pulling him into a firm embrace. "You look tired. What is it really like? I'm sure you are hiding something from me in your letters."

He laughs cautiously, pushing away to hold me at arms length. I can see that he has lost weight, ever since father sent him away his body has grown more and more emaciated. Beneath his over grown dark fringe I can make out another gaping burn. I worry about him a lot, sometimes I wake up screaming imagining he has been sliced to bits in an accident like the one last week at the Old Mill. Of course I won't tell him this.

"Relax brother." he chuckles airily, slapping me roughly on the shoulders. "I'm alright, really!"

He smiles jovially but I am not convinced. He sees the doubt written all over my face and let's out a long sigh, crossing back to the tree trunk and sitting down heavily against it, grunting as though he were in some kind of pain. He fixes me with those stormy grey eyes of his and I notice that they have lost their intensity. The fight is flooding out of him, I can see it.

"The factory have had me working a few extra hours, that's all." he says finally.

I sigh and sit down at his side, drawing circles absently in the dirt with my thumb. I know how hard he has to work and I hate what it has done to him. Since he began work at the factory he has undergone an unbelievable transformation. We used to be twins but now we are nothing alike. His shoulders are thin, his eyes dead and his cheekbones razor sharp through his waxy skin. I wish I could help him but I know I can't. Our father did this to him. His cold face swells before my eyes as he pushes Ash over the threshold of our home and slams the door behind him, leaving behind nothing but a wisp of dust filled air, floating absently in the hallway. I glance down at my shoes, shining in the green light. We are worlds apart, my brother and I. I force myself to swallow my resentment however, I can't count my blessings too soon. Despite our differences we soon will both stand among the other children of our district, as equals, waiting for the Reaping to begin.

As though reading my mind he mutters; "I would love for them to choose me."

I stare at him in disbelief. His words hang heavily in the warm air. He just looks back at me and nods sadly, taking in my features. I wonder if he recognizers anything of himself when he looks at me or if like I, he sees a stranger. His words take a few moments to sink in. They sadden me greatly but we both know of the unspoken agreement which complicates things greatly. Neither of us would let the other be taken to the Hunger Games; ever.

A silence yawns between us, heavy and uncertain. Then as if we had rehearsed it, we both get to our feet in perfect unison and step out in to the real world once more, one behind the other. I turn to face my brother in the shade of the trees, a lump growing in my throat. I attempt to swallow it but it is no use. Ash, as though sensing my discomfort, speaks for me.

"Good luck Ember." he says gently ruffling my blonde hair as he always does.

"May the odds be ever in your favour." I finish for him holding his thin arm firmly in my hand.

Together we turn on to the path and side by side, we walk towards the town square, our footsteps falling effortlessly in perfect sync. Though everything about our external appearances is different, inside we remain as one and maybe that is enough.

The square is full when we arrive. Crowds of anxious people separate like water to let us pass. All eyes fall on the Watt twins as we file into our places. As the people spill reluctantly back into place, Ash reaches out a scarred hand and squeezes my shoulder reassuringly. All at once I am terribly glad that he is and always will be my brother.

An offensive burst of static cuts through the mounting tension like a knife. Ash and I watch ruefully as our father stands behind a large podium emblazoned with the Capitol crest. He stares out at his district until he finds my face among the many similar people. He smiles proudly at me but soon his eyes creep across to Ash and his expression hardens. I feel a flare of frustration as he begins to speak.

"District 3," he begins, a definite edge in his voice, "Today is the day of the Reaping for the 53rd Annual Hunger Games. It is not a day for fear but a day for celebration and gratitude. May the fates be with every one of you. I will now recite the Treaty of Treason."

He drones on for another few minutes, saying the verses of the incredibly dull Treaty of Treason which gave birth to the horror that is the Hunger Games, shortly after the end of the Dark Days. When he is finished he smiles in a rather forced manor at each of us and then steps down to settle in his seat at the back of the stage, beneath a huge fluttering Capitol banner.

After a few moment there is a second crackle of static and the crowd groans collectively. Lilly Mae takes to the stage dramatically, her blunt honey blonde bob and wide blue eyes shining in the sun light. She smiles broadly down at us flashing her impossibly white teeth and taps the microphone uncertainly, making everyone wince. When she seems satisfied, she begins her speech.

"Welcome one and all to the 53rd annual Hunger Games!" she exclaims in a voice so sweet that I feel sick just listening to it. "I want to take this opportunity to wish you all the best of luck, hopefully it will be your name which I draw from one of these balls."

Ash groans in my ear and despite the nerves building in my chest, I have to stifle a laugh. Lily crosses the stage carefully in her towering heels and circles a long fingered hand around the rim of one of the glass balls.

"Ladies first I think." she says enthusiastically as she grasps a slip of paper between her long green fingernails. "Congratulations...Leif Corscaden!"

I freeze. Not her, anyone but her. I wheel around to face the girls' side of the square, grasping my brother forearm's so tightly that he twitches his fingers constantly, as though they are turning numb. The girls breathe deep sighs of relief, turning to embrace their friends or searching for their families' faces in the crowd. Then she appears, her brilliant red head standing out starkly against the many blondes and brunette who surround her. She clutches at the hem of her shirt, as though to keep her hands from shaking and makes her way slowly to the stage.

Lily pulls her in to a tight embrace when she reaches her. Leif looks repulsed. Her body stiffens as though she is desperate to keep as much distance as possible between our bubbly escort and herself. Finally Lily releases her and turns to select the male tribute. My veins begin to fill with fear but I can't tear my eyes away from the girl's face. Her eyes glow luminous green beneath her thick black hair. I would recognize that face anywhere.

"Ash Watt."

My brother turns mutely to me and gives me a curt sort of nod. I watch his back as he walks away from me, I can count every last protruding vertebra. Without thinking I pull him back by his shoulder. He winces and I know that I have made the right decision, he wouldn't stand a chance. We stare at each other and suddenly it is like looking in to a mirror. We each wear identical expressions of determination, our sharp jaws set. He grabs my wrist.

"Don't do this." he murmurs, his voice low.

The square stares on, Lily calls his name once more. He shakes his head firmly as I open my mouth, his nails bite into my skin. A hiss of breath escapes through his gritted teeth but I ignore him and call out as loudly as I can: "I volunteer."

The people around us whirl in their places to stare at me as I walk away from my brother. He just stands there, uncertain of what to do next. On stage I watch as our father's eyes fill with tears which were not present when Ash faced this fate. His cruelty only strengthens my resolve and soon I am standing beside Lily, being looked over by thousands of people as though they are seeing me for the very first time. Lily grins appreciatively at me, like a child who has been handed a new toy. Without taking her eyes from my face she reaches out and grabs my wrist as well as Life's and holds them aloft. I glance over to see that Leif has stiffened visibly and I can tell that it is taking all over her resolution to keep her eyes on the crowd and not on me.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I am proud to present your tributes for the 53rd Annual Hunger Games." she shakes our fists victoriously above her head, bob swinging merrily around her ears.

And then we are being led through the huge doors of the Justice building, side by side on the slightly chubby arms of our escort. I can hear my father racing after us gushing 'but's' and 'this cannot be's' until finally the doors swing shut, mercifully blocking out the din and it is over, my fate is sealed.


End file.
